


Pandemic

by DaughterOfDanu



Category: Final Fantasy XIII
Genre: F/F, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:08:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27725951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaughterOfDanu/pseuds/DaughterOfDanu
Summary: Two soldiers meet at a joint training camp and form an immediate bond, just in time for the world to turn upside-down. Can these two continue a flourishing relationship amid the horrors taking place in the world and while keeping their families safe? Appearances are not as they seem, as the two uncover the truth of what has happened, and it puts their entire group in danger. Infected humans are not their only concern and it might just turn out that their own kind is the biggest threat of all.
Relationships: Lightning/Oerba Yun Fang
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a snippet of something that popped into my mind the other day. I will likely be working on this as I finish up the other two stories, so please expect slow updates.

This shouldn’t have been called a pandemic, it was more genocide by deceit. Genocide was nothing new throughout history, go to any culture and any people and you’d find it somewhere in their past. But this level of genocide was the one to put them all to shame because like all genocide, it was targeted to specific groups of people. The problem, they lost control of their mechanism and now those responsible were the ones that could be thanked for nearly wiping out the entirety of mankind. We are the last of its survivors.

“VANILLE!”

“Lock the damn door, get everyone behind the barricade...NOW!” Fang screamed.

Her adopted sister knew not to argue the point, but the redhead was conflicted. How could she leave Fang behind to contend with the infected alone? How did one contain morals in a world gone mad? It was a constant discussion she’d had with the brunette since they’d adopted each other as family. The infected were swarming from every nook and cranny they could get through, and the only safe place to be was behind the barricade. 

“SNOW! Drag them through if you have to, GET THEM BACK!”

The man in question was a hulk of a figure. He could have easily been the non-CG model for the mutant antihero. Where he lacked in common sense, he gained in size and muscle, but even he wouldn’t argue against the Huntress. She’d earned the name for a reason, and she did not brook argument from anyone, except Claire. But as much as those two could argue with each other, they were always in agreement about the important things. 

And one thing they agreed upon was the fact that the younger members of their family unit deserved to live, as much as one could live in a time like this. Hope in the world and in people had been sketchy at best for both older sisters, and the Pandemic had made it worse. Whatever light they saw in the darkness, it now came in the form of their younger sisters. If it was just these zombified cliches to contend with, there might be a brighter outlook for humanity, but as it stood, the infected were not their only problem. 

Fang and Light were never fooled by society, they had always known that if the proverbial shit hit the fan, that mankind would go back to their basest behaviors. All people needed to do was look at the news, observe the behaviors of those around them to know that most people were not nice, were selfish, or self-involved and this was just the tip of the iceberg. The brunette knew that a predator never showed you it’s true colors until it was too late, the perfect chameleon. 

The space around the brunette was too small for her beloved ancestral lance, so she had opted for a pair of sabers that they had picked up along the way. In a whirlwind of motion, she was slicing through the infected to try and relieve the danger of the retreating group. Every chance she had, she glanced their way, and that was when she heard Vanille scream. Her redheaded sister and the others were trying to push the door shut against a large group of altered.

“Dammit!” Fang swore under her breath.

Where had all these altered humans come from? She hadn’t seen such a large group in a long time and she was suddenly wishing that Sunshine wasn’t on a solo mission of her own. All the brunette could do was slice through her own massive group and push her way toward her sister as fast as she could, and in Fang’s mind, it was not fast enough. 

It was truly the scene that movies often tried to portray in slaughterhouse type films, whether it was a monster movie with real monsters, or the monsters still in human meat suits. Either way, the true gore was never what you saw in the movies, it was much worse and the smell was something you would never forget. 

Blood flew from the two sabers as Fang hacked and slashed her way toward the others. The red liquid splattered everywhere and the Huntress looked like a horror herself with the amount of gore covering her. Fang was head to toe blood flesh and if the sight of her wasn't enough to make a person lose their lunch, then the headless bodies and butchered limbs surely would. Their world was no longer a place for a weak stomach and even the most cast-iron guts were tested by such scenes. 

Luckily, the Huntress’ swords were sharp and would slice through bodies like a hot knife through butter. Fang hacked her way through the inhuman like a runaway freight train, carving her way toward her sister and the others. The brunette was dressed in her leathers to cover as much of her skin as possible, and those coverings were splattered with the evidence of the moment's activities. So, was it any wonder, she wasn’t afraid of diving into the fold of beings trying to push their way through the door toward the retreating group?

Fang would have done it anyway, whether she had the extra protection or not, it was her sister, it was people she was beginning to care for... She and Claire had agreed, if anything happened to the other, there would at least still be one of them taking care of the younger sisters. The brunette had nothing to lose, except for maybe her life. It was a full out rush, remove a head, a hand, a leg, take out the threat so that they were incapable of retaliation. But, the brunette had to do it as quickly as possible, she was losing ground quickly as more of the infected came in to surge against the cracked door.

The Huntress heard, more than saw Snow grunting against the weight of the door and the inhuman forms throwing themselves against it. Fang’s mind was already razor-sharp in moments of life or death, but her vision narrowed, this was her family. Lost amongst the wave, the only indication that the brunette was there were the falling limbs and rolling heads. It was like a sea of horror as the infected moved like a wave, wailing and screaming their incoherent demands to get to the fresh meat.

Fang had finally managed to clear out the nimble horrors, her body quaked with adrenaline and she was drenched not only from her enemies' blood but perspiration. She gave Vanille a lopsided grin and went to hug the woman as she rushed out of the door. But the redhead stopped dead in her tracks and the color drained from her face, at first, the brunette thought that maybe she was ill or had been injured.

“Vanille, what’s wrong?” the huntress replied as she rushed to her sister.

“No...oh no, oh Fang,” the redhead wailed as she burst into tears.

The older sister was perplexed, what on earth had gotten into Van?

“Oh, shit!” Snow exclaimed.

“Fang...your arm…”

The huntress gazed down at where the big lug was pointing, what she saw there raised the hairs on the back of her neck. Somewhere in the chaos, she’d been bitten, it was a death sentence. There was no cure, no vaccine, hell, there probably wasn’t even anyone alive that could work on one, as far as she knew. There wasn’t much remaining of her leather covering that protected her left hand. Somewhere in the chaos, it had torn and now it was dripping with the blood from the bite marks along the side of her palm. She never felt it, had no idea until the blood drained from Vanille’s face.

Fang took a long shuddering breath, she was never one to cry over spilled milk. What was done is done and all she could do was give them her goodbyes and wait for the impending attack by their human enemies. If she was lucky, she’d turn and take a few of those bastards with her. Her thoughts were scattered for the first time since this nightmare began, she hadn’t planned on being taken out so early in the game. That is if you can call a year-long of this hell, too soon as a measure of time.

Vanille hit her like a ton of bricks, wrapping her sobbing form around her older sister without a care of the gore that covered her. She could not be consoled, no matter how tightly Fang held her, rocked her, caressed her hair, or whispered softly to her. At this moment in time, the Huntress was pissed at herself for putting her younger sibling through this.

“Shhhh...everything will be alright kiddo.”

“Hhh….how?! You’re leaving me! I...I...I can’t do this without you, Fang?!”

“Hey, now, don’t say that. We have a family now, you’re not alone.”

Vanille looked up at Fang, blood and tears streaked the side of her cheek. She almost looked angry, if it wasn’t for the deep sadness and sobbing coming from her smaller frame. It was almost comical in a twisted sort of way. She’s going to die and become some twisted monstrosity and all her baby sister can do is glare at her for her comment. Yes, definitely a laughable moment.

“But….it….it’s always...al..ways been us,” Vanille continued to sob.

The Huntress tilted her sister’s chin up and tried to smooth away some of the tears and blood, only causing it to look more macabre. 

“I know. I’m sorry, Van. I never wanted to put you through any of this. I love you kiddo.”

“I...I...I...love...you...too.”

Fang hugged her close again one more time, it was killing her inside knowing she was putting Vanille through this. And, when Sunshine found out, she was going to be so pissed at her, the Huntress thought with morose humor. 

“Hey, do me a favor. Help Serah look after Sunshine, alright. She’s going to need you both, even if she pretends that she doesn’t. Okay, will you do that for me”

The brunette felt her sister’s head bob against her abdomen.

“Come on now, you need to get behind the barricade, you know these attacks are usually followed by those assholes.”

By assholes, she meant the humans that were too busy being stupid to realize that they should all be working together for survival, instead of helping the infected take out what was left of them. 

“Snow,” Fang commanded.

The big guy took hold of Vanille, for a brief moment, Fang was afraid her sister was going to fight him, and apparently, so had he. Serah was suddenly at their side, wrapping her arm around Vanille’s waist and casting a sad glance at the Huntress. All the brunette could do was smile for a moment.

“Serah, she’ll be pissed at first.”

“I know, Fang. We’ll watch out for her. I won’t let her do anything stupid.”

Not that Sunshine ever did anything stupid, the Huntress thought sarcastically. Usually, she was the one being lectured about being thick-headed and reckless. 

“Take care of each other!” Fang called out as they made their way to the door.

“And Snow, if anything happens to Vanille, I will come back all zombified and rip your damn head off, understand?”

Snow stumbled in his steps, he knew that the Huntress was serious and for a brief moment he wondered what a predator like Fang would be as one of the altered. 

“Yes, ma’am.” 

Fang watched the retreated backs of Vanille and Serah, thank God she didn’t turn around because the brunette wasn’t sure she could handle it.

“Sorry, Fang.”

“Shit happens. Maybe I’ll get lucky and no infection entered the bite. Lady luck has always been good to me.”

Snow grasped her elbow and gave her that look, before closing the door and sliding the lock in place. In Fang’s mind, it sounded like the loudest noise she’d ever heard. There was nothing left to do, but work her way toward the outside. Hopefully, she would catch some of those idiots that set the traps to lure the infected here. It was an almost daily incident, and you never knew when they would happen.

Fang looked down at her watch and set the timer. In twelve hours, she would cease to exist as who she was now. If lady luck really was on her side, she would be killed and not have to worry about Sunshine finding her after she’d turned. The Huntress looked down at the wound and cursed.

“Fuck.”

It was a word she never said, until now. Clinching the infected hand into a fist, she punched a piece of wood, shattering it into pieces. Her thoughts were on Claire and unfulfilled wishes.

“I’m sorry, Sunshine. I hope you forgive me someday.”

  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While the virus ravages through Fang's system, the Huntress reminisces about her first meeting with Claire.

The Meeting Pt. 1

Death comes to all things, from the moment we are born, we’re dying. Most people go through their lives oblivious of their mortality until it’s in their face. Some people face it with dignity and a sense of peace, while others go kicking and screaming to their fate riddled with demons and regrets. If an individual looked at death from a philosophical point, or even a religious point, there would be an array of beliefs on the subject. One could surmise that the biggest question would be, what did that individual believe? 

You could almost guarantee that not everyone held the same beliefs, but did it matter if, in the end, it brought that individual peace? Perhaps the world shouldn’t be so harsh to judge and leave that to the larger powers themselves, the ones who have wider views on the universe, a being of larger perception. If that was the universe itself or if one was inclined, God. 

Fang never spoke of her beliefs unless asked, not even to Claire. But the Huntress could say that she knew the soldier was curious, just simply by the looks that she would give her from time to time. Of course, these looks usually came from moments of life or death situations, and heaven knew they had a lot of those in the last year. And death was never so prevalent in the brunette’s life as of right now. She hadn’t planned on whiling away the hours in thought, the former hunter had wanted to be as beneficial for her family as she could all the way up until the bitter end.

But as fate would have it, she was going through the symptoms alone, with no foe to fight, no enemy to face but time. It had started within the hour, those first symptoms of change, the onset of fever accompanied with chills. It was almost 90 degrees outside, and Fang had felt chilled to the bone. In the next few hours, the Huntress could feel her strength begin to wane and whatever contents she had had in her stomach had been expelled long ago and she was left with the dry heaves. Not even the sound of retching had brought about the curious altered or renegade human. 

Then came the lust for flesh, the random thought of meat still attached to the limb of a live body, licking it like a prized possession before she sank her teeth into the tender morsel. That thought alone had been enough to excite her and frighten her in the same moment. The Huntress knew she was going through the changes rapidly, and the likelihood of even making it to the timer on her watch was a mere fantasy. There was only one thing Fang could do, spend the last of her moments thinking about how good her life had been. Perhaps she could instill into her mind those she loved and keep some form of cognitive memory to avoid attacking her family. 

It had first started with Vanille, growing up with the girl who had become like a sister to her. But her thoughts had quickly taken a turn to the first time she’d ever laid eyes on Claire Farron, and how it had changed her life forever.

  
  


*********

Fang slung her duffle over her shoulder as she stepped out of the Lockheed AP-3C Orion. The Royal Australian Air Force had just coincidentally been headed toward her destination on its own mission with the US Air Force, and she’d hopped a ride. It was free and it beat the heck out of riding on a passenger plane for hours on end. Besides, she wouldn’t have been able to bring Bahamut with her if she’d gone the commercial route. It had taken a lot of red tape and favors to arrange the room and permission for her to bring the bike with her. 

The motorcycle itself had garnered almost the same looks the woman had as she stepped off the plane. Eyes went from the bike to the female rolling it off the ramp of the AP-3C, as military men and women scurried along the tarmac. Fang was not a short woman by any stretch of the imagination, with a long slender athletic frame and exotic looks. The Huntress looked as if she’d stepped out of an old pinup magazine the military boys carried with them in the early world wars. 

The brunette had seen more than one person pause, look from the bike, and then to her a few times. If it weren’t all so cliche, she would have laughed, instead she inwardly rolled her eyes. As for her “bike,” it was a vintage Indian Scout with custom detailing, set in a deep purple so dark it was almost black, with lighter spectrums of purple to touch off the bike. Adorning both sides of the tank was a beautiful airbrushed dragon that popped with the lighter colors of purple from the darker background. 

There had been a brief moment when she had thought about having the metal work done for a dragon’s head to mount on the front of the bike. Fang had fiddled with a few drawings, using an open mouth concept for the headlamp to fit in, and for the dragon’s fringe to flare into the bug guard, it was a beautiful piece of work, but at the end too ostentatious for her. Instead, she’d settled for the classic look with the purple tones and airbrush artwork. It was still a sight to see, setting a tone of admiration for the actual machine itself instead of the “look at me,” narcissistic vibe. 

“Captain, Oerba Yun Fang?” The sergeant inquired as he saluted.

Fang, who had just settled the bike off the ramp, set the kickstand and saluted back.

“That is correct, Sergeant Benton.” 

As much as she hated pomp and circumstance or these little dog and pony show that the military put on for each other, she was at least looking forward to her role as an instructor. 

“Colonel Linton sent me to show you to your quarters and go over your itinerary for the day. You will meet him during the debriefing at 1600 hours…”

“I read the itinerary Sergeant, no need to revisit it.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Pomp and circumstance kept playing in Fang’s mind, and it was the only thing that kept her from speaking out about the idiocy of the military. Yes, she was currently a part of said stupidity, but she’d been fully aware of what the organization was before she’d joined. Her reasons at the time were strictly for the sake of necessity and it was the most promising of all the alternatives. She’d had a family to take care of, and that took precedence over her own feelings.

“Just follow me and I’ll show you to the Officer’s Quarters.”

Fang fastened her duffle to her bike and fired it up, easily swinging her long leg over as she took a seat on the leather upholstery. The base was a fairly good size and it had taken a few minutes to reach their destination. From there the Huntress bid the Sergeant a temporary farewell as she settled into her accommodations. She’d waited too long to call Vanille and was expecting an earful. Her younger sister was such a worry-wort and the brunette warned her that she’d start aging if she didn’t let things go. The thought had barely left her mind when said “worrier” called.

“You were supposed to call me when you landed! That was 30 minutes ago!”

The Huntress chuckled, not out of spite, but because she knew just how much Vanille loved her.

“Sorry, Van. I was barely off the plane when the US had one of theirs pestering me about itineraries and other nonsense.”

“You weren’t wearing those “booty” shorts that they give you, where you?”

“No, Van, you know I don’t wear shorts when I ride.”

“Well, I’m just saying, because I’ve seen the stares you get when you have them on. I’m surprised the military gives those things to you.”

Fang opened her mouth to talk, but Vanille ran right over the top of her and the Huntress couldn’t help but shake her head in amusement.

“For that matter, I’ve seen the stares you get without wearing them. Why again don’t you have a girlfriend or wife?”

“Oh, I don’t know. I think it has something to do with my sister nagging all my dates to death.”

“Someone has to interrogate them. I’m not just letting anyone get you.”

“And, how’s that any of your business, Ms. Nosey?”

“Someone has to watch over you because you’re too busy watching over everyone else.”

“Yeah, I love you too...nuisance.”

“I know and I love you too.”

“How’s the packing? You ready to head out here in the next day or two?”

Vanille answered Fang’s question with more information than the brunette needed to hear. But, the woman didn’t mind, she unpacked her duffle and settled into her room while her sister rambled.

“...I need to head over and print out this roll of film for the presentation and pack my plants for the trip. Oh! Is that the time, I have to go, Fang! Don’t forget to call me this evening! Love you!”

“Love you too, kiddo.” 

Speaking of time, the Huntress had just enough of it to shower and change for the few briefings scheduled for the day. The first one was more an introduction of the trainers, and the courses being run by her fellow experts. What excited Fang most about this time was the chance to find out what classes she could jump into when she wasn’t teaching her own. It was also an opportunity to catch up with anyone she’d met at prior military expos from the past and meet and greet the new ones. Briefly, the brunette thought about wearing said booty shorts as she headed toward the shower, wouldn’t that bring about more than just a few heads turning?

Unfortunately, this was not a social gathering, and Fang would have to wear her military uniform, but she thanked the gods that it wasn’t her dress uniform. She hated the stuffy outfit, her everyday BDUs were bad enough, and if given the choice she would choose her native dress every time. Climbing onto Bahamut, the Huntress headed out for her first briefing of the day. She had to hide her chuckle with the astonished Sergeant who saw her pull up to the building. It was difficult to tell which was more amusing, the look on his face or the awkward way in which he saluted and stumbled over his words.

“I … I was just about to call you ma’am and make sure you weren’t having difficulty in finding the building.”“No problem at all Sergeant. I never get lost,” and the Huntress walked away with a smirk from the befuddled Sergeant.

It wasn’t long before Fang found herself surrounded by men and women alike. The Huntress had over the years developed a reputation in certain circles. It wasn’t bragging or exaggeration with what she told the Sergeant, it was simply a fact. For a female, the brunette was a predator to her core, it was why she was so good at tracking and scouting amongst other things. She’d earned her Huntress title and the respect that had come with it.It was these inborn predatory skills that gave her the sharp senses of hearing, smelling and sixth sense to her environment. It was these senses that casually tugged her view to the stunning woman that had entered through the door. The same woman who she knew was asking questions about her, the same one she could hear across the room, and the same one that drew her like a hunter to prey.“What are you two going on about,” Captain Farron inquired.

“You don’t know who that is?”“No, should I?”“Good god Farron, where have you been the last two years. That’s Captain Oerba Yun Fang…”“And?”“ _And_ ….and, she is only _the_ top-rated survivalist trainer in the country. Haven’t you read her jacket? The woman is more predator than human. Captain Ericson took her survival training class last year, didn’t make it past the first week and _he_ is considered one of the top-rated survivalists in the world.”“So that’s why Amodar added her to the docket of instructors for this year's expo,” Claire replied more to herself.

Captain Hendricks, who had been gushing all over the topic of Fang, handed Claire a copy of an Australian military magazine, with the brunette featured on the cover. “The Huntress,” was in bold print next to a photo of the brunette. Claire barely had a moment to gaze at the cover before the excited man “helped,” the Captain flip to the article. He was yammering away about Fang as if he knew her personally. 

“Do you know her, outside of this article you read?”“Well...no, but I was hoping to. I already signed up to take her course.”“Ben, it’s a three-month course and what little I have heard you tell me about her, somehow, I doubt she’s your type, or looking to find a date while she’s here.”

Hendricks was a good man if a little thick in the head. Claire had enjoyed working with him, but his looks had given the man a bit of an ego. Farron was pretty sure she was one of the few women to have shot him down before he could even engage her in the idea of pursuing something more than just a working relationship. If it was one thing that her co-workers had learned, was that Captain Claire Farron was all business while in a uniform. And much to the dismay of many of them, they were not privy to a lot of the woman’s personal life, and that is just the way she liked it.

Cpt. Farron’s eyes briefly looked over to where the woman they were speaking of was standing and the hair on Claire’s neck stood up when the brunette looked up at that exact moment with the first predatory glance. Her eyes narrowed slightly at the smirk that curled the other Captain's lips. The officer had signed up to take Oerba Yun Fang’s course, not because she’d known the woman, but because it hadn’t coincided with the course she was teaching. Farron realized she’d be lying to herself if she hadn’t found the woman a little intoxicating to look at and that look she’d just been given had sent a nice warm shiver up her spine. This one was going to be a handful.

  
  
*******

  
  
Fang would love to say that all the people in the room talking with her had become nothing but white noise, but such was not her luck. And in a way, it was probably for the best, because her attention had honed in solely on the woman across the room. It was the opposite of an opposing force, and the Huntress had felt an instant connection when her eyes had locked momentarily with the other woman. Captain Yun could make out the conversation taking place across the room, but outside of this Captain Hendricks, no real personal comments had been made so there was no guilt. When the other woman’s eyes returned to focus on the man beside her, Fang pulled out the profiles on all of the trainers. She was sure this woman was an instructor, but there was no way she would have forgotten that face. One of the individuals beside her had caught the exchange and spoke up.

“That’s Captain Claire Farron, she’s instructing the classes on tactics and weapons.”Fang regarded the young man as she pulled out the itinerary for courses. The person listed was not who she was just informed would be teaching.“Major Amodar was scheduled to take the lead, but there were last-minute changes. Besides, you’ll not find anyone better, Claire’s made a reputation for herself.”

Fang raised an eyebrow as she glanced over at the woman in question. Luckily for her, instructors did not have to register to sign up to attend any of the other courses. It was a perk, one that the Huntress intended on fully capitalizing on. In the meantime, she had a little more information on Captain Farron, thanks to the informal slip by the man beside her.

“I take it you know Captain Farron, Lt. Strife?”

"We grew up together, our parents are friends from way back.

”Good to know.”

It wasn’t long before the group of instructors made their way to the conference room. It was what Fang had expected, a general discussion of who, what, where, why, and when. The expos had been something relatively new, a way for the world’s military organizations to come together in something other than war. In truth, the brunette knew there were ulterior motives, there were always ulterior motives when men were involved. 

The Huntress wasn’t sure just exactly  _ what  _ that motive was, but she wouldn’t be shocked if it had something to do with comparing toys, ie. their personnel as well as their actual weapons. To be blunt, it was likely something to do with comparing the size of dicks, and the brunette was certainly glad she did not have one. Penis envy was something Fang never understood. It was a perceived power and all that it had done was turn men arrogant and prideful. And now women wanted to join those ranks? No thank you!

Yes, she understood that she was participating in said activities at the moment, but it had been for Vanille. In one more year, this would be a distant memory and she could focus fully on her people. And maybe the remainder of her people would be a bright and shining example to the rest of the world. Until then, the brunette sat through the two-hour discussion and then a brief break before Colonel Linton spoke for the 2nd half. Fang was sure that it would be filled with the fluff of thanking everyone for participating in this joint effort between countries, etc..etc. The Huntress would have given her right arm, literally, to have been wrong. But as it turned out, it was two more hours of wasting her time. 

By the end, the brunette hadn’t given Captain Farron another thought, she was too focused on getting through these boring lectures and meetings. It wasn’t until she swung her leg over Bahamut, that the woman of her previous thoughts strolled into sight. She was chatting away with Lt. Strife as they headed toward their vehicles. Fang couldn’t help but smile as she pulled her helmet over her head. She’d meet up with Claire again soon and hopefully get to know her well enough to call her by her name. 

As Fang took off toward her temporary home, a pair of cool blue eyes looked up and followed her. If the brunette was aware, she made no indication. One thing was certain, she had garnered the attention of one Claire Farron.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. Chapter 3

The Meeting Pt 2

  
  


Fang was free, free for the rest of the weekend. On Monday they would begin day one of prepping courses and classes for the expo. The instructors would also be getting a list of those attending their courses for a full day of introduction and instructions for the days ahead. After that, the Huntress would be working on all the classroom training before the recruits set out for their grueling attempt at survival on the land. It wasn’t like this had never been done before, but it was the first time that they would be going through the Yun version of survival. But instructing was the furthest thing from the brunette’s mind at the moment, as she got ready to go out on the town.

Earlier, the Huntress had been able to get a few names of places she could visit off base. Fang was nothing, if not a true free spirit and the idea of staying cooped up on the base in her room was out of the question. After a quick change of clothes, the brunette was back on her bike and headed out of the gate. It was time to go have some fun.

  
  


******

Claire walked through the door and was greeted by a smile and a wave from the dark-haired beauty behind the bar. Tifa was a hell of a friend and Cloud was lucky to have her as a girlfriend. Farron was pretty sure that she’d never met anyone so loyal and trustworthy in all aspects. 

“Hey, Lightning! I didn’t think you’d come tonight. Cloud told me that you two had meetings today.”

Light looked around the bar.

“Speaking of...where is he?”

Tifa shook her head.

“You know him, he’s out with the boys. He mentioned something about betting on who would drop whose courses first.”

Clair laughed, “Of course he did.”

“How about you, you’re usually very talkative about the next new “mission,” but you seem a little distracted.”

Lightning gave Tifa a look, she could never get anything past the woman.

“I’m not apologizing. You and Cloud are too predictable. He gets excited and takes off with the boys and you only come here when you have a lot on your mind.”

“That’s not true, Tifa.”

“Okay, so when you’re looking to see if there’s anyone worth striking up a conversation with that’s not usually me?”

Lightning buried her head in her hands and sighed. 

“So, tell me about her.”

Light looked up and gave Tifa a sharp look. 

“What makes you think this has anything to do with a woman?”

“Seriously Light?”

“I work behind a bar, and I’ve known you since we were in middle school together. Maybe everyone else has no idea about the secret life of Claire Farron, but I’m pretty sure I have a clue about the woman behind the uniform.”

“I hate you,” Claire mumbled. 

“No, you don’t. Now, spill the beans.”

“Alright, fine.”

And with a feigned disgruntled look, Claire talked about the meeting and the woman who had caught her attention.

“I’ve heard of people having an instant connection, but I’ve always taken it as just something people say when they're out of their mind in love with someone. I don't know how else to describe it, other than as soon as I walked into the room, I felt this pull to look in her direction. That was all Ben needed to start running off at the mouth about his lust for the woman and showing me an article in a military magazine about her.”

Tifa had slid a non-alcoholic drink to the woman and Claire snatched it up to take a drink.

“She must be drop-dead gorgeous to have caught Ben’s eye,” Tifa added.

Claire laughed.

“Like a guy needs a woman to be attractive. I’ll never understand why most women fall for the games. If they could hear half the things I hear men say about women.”

“You know women don’t listen to other women on matters of men, Light. You could warn a girl all day long about certain guys and they chose to ignore the advice.”

“It begs to question whether or not most even care anymore about having some kind of dignity or decorum about themselves. The sad thing is, a lot of the women are acting just like them. It’s why I’ve had such a difficult time trying to find a date, let alone a girlfriend. If I wanted a man, I’d date one.”

Tifa laughed.

“Well, you don’t exactly strike a chord of femininity about yourself at work or in uniform. You intimidate some men, so the girls wanting a more man-like woman would be attracted to you. It’s also why you’ve gained the reputation for being a cold fish.”

“Thanks a lot.”

“It’s an old discussion, Light. I know the real you, whether you’re in a uniform or in civilian clothes. It’s perception, and the fact people make judgments based on what they see, not what they know.”

“Yes, it is an old discussion, unfortunately, it’s valid today as it was when we were in high school. I don’t mind a woman who likes boyish things, that would make me a hypocrite. I just don’t like the boyish attitudes and mannerisms.”

“I take it you don’t think that your mystery woman is like that?”

Claire laughed.

“No, I think there’s a lot more to her than what everyone thinks. But, I didn’t get to meet Captain Oerba Yun Fang. Besides, knowing my luck, she’s probably one of those gals that is very into guys.”

“She could be, but you never know Claire. I suppose that’s one of the good things about not having a sex drive, we truly are fluid. Case in point, should I bring up the topic of Lynette Williams?”

“Oh, god, don’t you dare Tifa!”

The women laughed and Lightning took another drink of her beverage.

“So, are you going to keep me in suspense or tell me what she looks like?”

“Should I tell Cloud that he may have some competition?” Lightning teased.

“It’s the blonde spiky hair, I never get over it.”

Lightning laughed.

“Well, if you like spiky hair, Captain Yun has a wild mane herself. I couldn’t tell if she had dark brunette or black hair. Whatever the color was, she has natural red highlights. Her skin is tanned and not from going to the tanning beds. It’s almost olive in color, but I’m not so sure that it wouldn’t be red. She has this beauty mark, just below her left eye and the most captivating set of green eyes.”

Claire laughed at herself.

“Listen to me, I sound like a superficial person, describing her looks like that’s all there is to the woman.”

“Cut yourself some slack, Light. You’ve always been a person that pays attention to detail, and I did after all ask you about her physical features. So, what drew you to her?”

Now Tifa was getting to the real answer, one that Claire wasn’t entirely sure of. She answered to the best of her ability though.

“The pull was the first thing that drew me, and yes, she is a beautiful woman, but it wasn’t that. There’s something about her, she has a keen intelligence that I think most miss because they’re looking at her physical features. I can’t put my finger on it yet, but I have this desire to want to get to know her. I will, I’m just going to keep my expectations low. I don’t want to act like a schoolgirl with a crush when she may not even like women in a romantic way.”

The door opened to the bar and Tifa looked up to see who was entering.

“Don’t look now, but I think you might just get your chance.”

  
  


***************

  
  


As much as the Huntress was a free spirit, she also didn’t have a death wish. So, when she was going to be out on the road with her motorcycle, she either wore leathers or chaps. And now that she could literally let her hair down, she quickly unbraided one large braid for the two smaller trademark braids on the left side. She slipped on a pair of dark blue jeans, a black V-neck cold shoulder blouse with split sleeves, and an asymmetrical hem. 

Fang slipped on a necklace, foregoing earrings because of her helmet. By the time she was dressed from head to toe, her boots were the last thing she put on. Unlike the typical biker boot, Fang found that a woman’s leather riding boot was more comfortable. No one needed to know that the long lace-up boot with the flat heel was designed for horseback riding. After lacing her boots, she took out her riding chaps and fastened and zipped them to her frame. The fringeless chaps were black and dark purple, matching her leather jacket. The only difference, the jacket had dragon wings on the back with the same purple tones that matched her bike. 

With a quick check of pockets for her ID, emergency contact numbers, and currency, Fang grabbed her helmet and headed for the door. The Huntress always felt a thrill when she slung her leg over her bike. In the back of her mind, she was sure that it was ancestral blood that sang to her as she sat upon her mechanized horse, or dragon if you go by the portraits. With a turn of the key, the motor purred to life, and then Fang slid her helmet over her head. The helmet was touched with the same colors to match, the only vanity piece in the whole ensemble was her name in purple on the back of her helmet, and that was in small scripted print.

It wasn’t long before Fang was rolling out of the main gate to the military base and headed into the outskirts of town. She’d had a few places in mind to check out through conversations she’d had with people on base. She’d even run into a few women, whom she was sure were secretly hoping that the Huntress was a lesbian through hints of bars that they often frequented. The woman herself was not one to just strike up a conversation and start talking about herself. If anyone asked, she would share certain information. After all, if you were looking to get to know someone, you had to share things about yourself if you were going to really get to know each other. 

But, the Huntress was such a tease and a charmer, she really never had to talk much about herself at all. Besides, she was a good judge of character and not many had ever gotten past just casual acquaintances or friends. As Fang sped out onto the road and into the early evening, she headed toward the direction of the bar, “Safe Haven.” Wasn’t much of a title, and the Captain was sure that it was run by a straight person. It was too plain to be a gay bar name, despite the fact she was told it was. 

Fang’s guess was that it was run by someone that had family or friends that were gay. Either way, a few people she spoke with had recommended it and given it good reviews, so why not check it out? It was an easy find, 30 minutes from the base and right where she was told it would be. The Huntress parked her bike near the front of the establishment, removed her helmet and chaps, and secured them in her saddlebag. First things first, food, she was actually hungry for something outside of the cafeteria on the base. 

Just before the Huntress grabbed the handle to the door, she felt that pull, she had at the base. Immediately upon entering, a pair of green eyes zeroed in on blue. Fang hadn’t even needed to look, she just followed her instincts and the first thing she saw was one Captain Claire Farron sitting at the bar talking to another attractive woman with dark hair. Yun couldn’t help the smirk that touched her lips as two sets of eyes quickly tried to not look guilty at staring at the person just walking through the door. The night was already starting to look better by the second.

  
  


*****

  
  


Claire felt the heat of embarrassment, quickly trying to hide the scarlet blush from her attraction to the very person she’d just been talking to Tifa about. But, she wouldn’t have been teaching a class on tactics, if she wasn’t good at her own, and she’d made an impressive recovery. Speaking up, she waved Captain Yun over to them.

“Captain Yun, please, come join us.”

And that damnable smirk, if she didn’t find it oh so attractive, she’d slap it off the woman’s face.

“Good save,” Tifa whispered from behind her.

“Captain Yun, I don’t think we had the pleasure of a formal introduction this afternoon. I’m Captain Claire Farron, but please call me Claire.”

The Huntress reached out and shook the offered hand.

“Oerba Yun Fang, but you can call me Fang.”

Fang turned toward Tifa and introduced herself.

“Fang.”

“I’m Tifa Lockhart.”

“Pleasure.”

The Huntress's keen eye surveyed the establishment as she took a seat next to Lightning.

“You must be the owner. This is a nice place, I’ve heard some good things about the food as well.”

Tifa raised an eyebrow and looked at Claire. She did say that Fang had been speaking with Cloud that day, maybe he said something. The thought was dismissed before it even had time to grow, that would be highly unlike her boyfriend to just summarily dole out that kind of personal information to a stranger.

“Yes, how did you know?”

The Huntress’ eyes twinkled with delight and something quite predatory and Tifa could suddenly see first hand just what Claire had been talking to her about.

“You don’t give off that “needy” or “desperate” vibe that most people give off in bars. You’re laid back like you're at home. Even people that enjoy bartending don’t give off that “at home” feeling when at work, they’re usually rushed, annoyed or can’t wait to be on the other side of the bar.”

Claire coughed and cleared her throat.

“Beg your pardon, are you inferring that…”

“Not in the least bit,” Fang replied with a wink.

Tifa giggled and Claire shot her friend a look.

“So, why the name Safe Haven? You have family or friends that are gay?”

This time, Fang gave Light a knowing look that nearly made the poor woman turn beet red.

“Friends mostly. I wanted a place where they could come and hang out without having to be harassed or ogled by others if they wanted to dance or enjoy a romantic meal. But why didn’t you think it was more personal?”

It was the first time that Claire saw the sharp little canine when the Huntress smirked.

“First, the name of your place isn’t some flamboyant title, it’s meant to make someone feel at home, not like they’re here for a pick-up. Second, I can smell the faint scent of a man’s cologne on you and you certainly aren’t dressed or act like the women that your culture labels bull daggers.”

“How did you…”

Fang laughed.

“It’s who I am, I just pay attention and I trust my senses concerning people and my surroundings.”

“So, why are you here, Fang?” Claire asked.

The Huntress turned her attention back to the owner of those beautiful blue eyes.

“I like watching the wildlife,” Fang said with a pause.

“And, I enjoy good cooking, and as I said before, Tifa’s place came highly recommended.”

“Do you make a habit of frequenting gay bars, or…”

“..am I gay?” Fang finished.

“What’s gay, Claire?”

To say that Captain Farron was perplexed, irritated, and intrigued at the same time was a vast understatement. What she could say for sure was that she was pulled into the orbit of Oerba Yun Fang and she wanted to stay awhile to see where it went.

“Gay is a societal term and applies more to men. But, if you’re asking if I am attracted to the ladies, that would be yes.”

Fang looked at Claire and the woman suddenly felt pleasantly trapped in those green eyes.

“As I’m sure you are too, Captain Farron.”

Lightning was struck, for the first time in her life that she could recall, she could not open her mouth to speak. It was annoying and delightful at the same time.

“Your words could be considered quite offensive, Fang.”

“I’ve been called a lot of things, Claire, but I always speak the truth. I’d rather be offensive than be a liar or a deceiver. There are enough people in this world-leading others astray, I won’t be one of them. And, I’m willing to bet that you’re the same way.”

Could it be that Light had finally found a soulmate? Not only was this woman drawing her in, but she was straightforward, just like she was. Yes, the woman was beautiful, but Claire knew that beauty was only skin deep. Fang had a head on her shoulders, was a no-nonsense, tell it like it is kind of gal. Before she knew it, Captain Farron’s mouth was speaking what was on her mind.

“And if you’re right and I am all those things you’ve just said?”

“Well, my response would be, I bet you look stunning in a dress.”

Claire blushed.

“What does that have to do with this conversation?”

“Everything, because you’re not the fad-ish type. You don’t fit the mainstream culture, you’re more the Amazon on Themyscira. The constant warrior who looks all woman in a toga.”

This time Fang had not only managed to turn Claire a shade of red that Tifa had never seen, but she managed a very girly giggle from the woman too. Light’s friend would have never believed it if she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes. But chalk one up to Captain Farron, because she made a quick recovery.

“And what do you look like in a dress, Oerba Yun Fang?”

“Why, Captain Farron, are you asking me out on a date?”

“You didn’t answer my question,” Claire replied as she felt it growing hotter in the room by the second.

Fang leaned forward, her lips gently brushing Light’s ear.

“Drop dead gorgeous, but I guess you’ll have to ask me out, to find out.”

It was Claire’s turn to return the response and despite the electricity that was running between the two, she managed to get out what she was going to say before her voice failed her.

“That would require me to get to know you better.”

“Fair enough.”

With that, Fang pulled back and the two found their gazes locked and for the first time, the Huntress felt she’d actually found someone she had a good chance at having something meaningful with.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
